


No One Else Can

by WhiteFoxKitsune (ProwlingThunder)



Series: The Everlasting List of Shenanigans [85]
Category: Invasion America
Genre: Best Friends, Established Relationship, Kings Were Born To Lead, Loyalty, Royal Bodyguards, canon compatible
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-10-08
Updated: 2014-10-08
Packaged: 2018-02-20 08:44:18
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 418
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2422451
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ProwlingThunder/pseuds/WhiteFoxKitsune
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Prompt!Fill.</p><p>Rita and Rafe have a quiet conversation, just after Cale leaves.</p>
            </blockquote>





	No One Else Can

**Author's Note:**

  * For [ZpanSven](https://archiveofourown.org/users/ZpanSven/gifts).



> Prompt: Rafe, need

“You could have gone with him,” Rita managed, trying hard not to sound as thrilled as she felt. She had been dreading this day for months, thinking her husband and her friend would both be gone beyond this day and she would be left alone with a son to raise and no one to help her. She was... happy that Rafe was staying behind, and she felt horrible for it; Rafe clearly, desperately wanted to go.

Beside her, Rafe didn't say anything. David had been put to bed already, and she doubted he'd sleep soundly without Cale here. He was so attached to his father... but he was young; it was easier for Cale to leave now, with David so little, then to wait until David grew older. She was almost glad for it-- she wouldn't have to explain what had happened until he was much older. Maybe, if Cale could end the war quickly enough, she wouldn't have to.

“You could have gone. I wouldn't have minded.” Except she would have and she knew it, but if Rafe wouldn't speak to her she'd never understand what he was thinking.

“No,” The captain shook his head, hesitating. “I... I need to stay here.”

“Because Cale asked you to?” He nodded, and Rita furrowed her brow. “...could... could he have stayed? Had someone else lead the Ooshati in his place?”

“It had to be Cale.”

“But why?” Why did the Ooshati need Cale? Couldn't Rafe have done it?

“Cale...” Rafe frowned, turning his attention down from the distant stars to look at the woods beyond her yard. “It needed to be Cale. He was born for this. No one else can fight the Dragit and win.”

It sounded weird. But Rafe sounded so sure of it that she didn't question why he felt this was a fact. She opened her mouth to ask something else, something different-- and heard David wail from inside. At once she was up and moving, all ready to sooth his fears and chase away the nightmares again; he'd been such a loud babe after that bastard had kidnapped him, and the Ga'lim attacking the landing site hadn't calmed him even a little.

If the Ooshati hadn't come....

She tucked her infant to her and turned, and found Rafe there in the doorway, watching her. She sent him a questioning look.

“Our people needed Cale, Rita. The Dragit was born for war, but wars are still fought with people, and Cale was born for them.”


End file.
